The present invention relates generally to a battery booster cable, and more particularly, to a clamp assembly that is used in connection therewith for removable securement to a battery post terminal, which does not require the use of any installation tools, and which provides greater ease in attachment/detachment from a conventional battery terminal post.
Battery “booster” or “jumper” cables are well known in the art for electrically interconnecting a discharged battery of a stalled vehicle in parallel with an external source of electrical energy, typically the charged battery of another vehicle. This is done to draw sufficient current from the charged battery to temporarily increase the capacity of the discharged battery, thereby allowing the stalled vehicle to be started. Typically, a pair of electrically conductive cables are joined together in side-by-side relationship to form a single booster cable which is easy to transport. Each cable has a pair of hand operated clamps at opposite ends thereof for securely interconnecting the cables to the corresponding terminals on the charged and discharged batteries. One pair of opposing clamps are denoted as being connected to a negatively charged cable, and the other pair of opposing clamps are denoted as being connected to a positively charged cable. Typically, the clamps are labeled in some manner to indicate attachment to the positive or negative cable, such as by providing insulated red handles for the positive clamps and insulated black handles for the negative clamps. To charge a battery, the opposing positive clamps of the positive cable are secured to the corresponding positive terminals of the charged and discharged batteries. One of the negative clamps on the negative cable is connected to the negative terminal of the charged battery, and the opposite negative clamp is connected to a ground connection of the stalled vehicle.
The clamps are typically configured with a pivot pin joining cooperating jaw portions at one end and handle portions at the other. A spring operably engages the handle portions to force the handle portions apart and urge the jaw portions toward a closed position. The jaw portions can be forcibly separated by gripping the handle portions and pivoting them toward each other. Release of the handles enables the jaws to close on the terminal of a battery. To facilitate securement of the jaws to the terminal, each jaw is typically provided with a serrated edge. However, release of the handles in such configurations of cable clamps to enable the jaws to close on the terminal of a battery can be cumbersome and difficult, and may not provide for a battery clamp which can which can be quickly engaged and disengaged from a battery post, or to engage and disengage the battery post without the need of any installation tooling. In use, the serrated edge often does not allow an adequate amount of surface contact with the battery's electrical terminal. This can cause arcing of the current in the vicinity of this connection possibly leading to ignition of the hydrogen gas evolved in the jumping or boosting process.
Previous booster cable devices lack the positive, secure and safe connectability of the present invention. These drawbacks have prevented the widespread usage of booster cable by those not knowledgable in automotive technology or electrical circuitry. Thus, there is a need for an improved battery booster cable and clamp assembly which can be quickly and safely engaged and disengaged from a battery post, and, in being placed upon the battery post, which applies a securing force equally along the entire surface area of the extended battery posts to secure the clamp assembly thereto, therein overcoming the abovementioned drawbacks.